Filters for Living Well

I was having coffee with a community leader the other day, a habit I like to do about once per month so that I can pick their brain for their secrets of success. As he told me his leadership journey and the leaders that made the biggest impact on his life, I noticed a pattern. He kept using the phrase “clarity of purpose” about the key trait of those he respected. And it was something he tried to emulate in his life.

He also shared that he has a filter for any job or volunteer opportunity that presents itself. It has to be:

• fun
• a meaningful opportunity to contribute
• a role that develops people

I have a personal filter for 2013 for my personal goals, or what I call a thematic goal (term used by Patrick Lencioni) for myself: it is to live my personal life more intentionally. It has 3 strategic objectives:

• Prioritize self-care
• Get our family financial future better planned for
• Make a bigger positive difference in my ever-expanding circle of influence

If you don’t have filters for your life, everything will just pour in–good and bad–and you most likely will not be making progress toward anything too significant. Take the time to develop filters, and then abide by them–and you’ll grow forward!

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